SNAKES CITES Identification manual Tentative tool for Thai CITES officers Compiled by TANYA CHAN-ARD NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CLASSIFICATION ORDER SQUAMATA SUBORDER SERPENTES CITES Listed - Boas and relatives - Colubrids - Elapids - Viperids
GENERAL CHARATERS of boas & relatives - No fangs - Some with vestigue hind limbs - numerous dorsal scales - Ventrals not enlarged
Identification aid to boas and relatives Head distinct and elongate; body slender; tail usually prehensile. Generally tree living species, good climbers Cagarea Chondopython Corallus Epicrates Exiliboa Morelia Python Sanzilia Ungaliophis
Identification aid to boas and relatives Head flat, broad, distinct; thick bodied; tail usually short. Generally bottom living species. Acrantophis Boa Candoia Eunectes Liasis Morelia Lichanura Python Trachyboa Tropidophis Xenoboa
Identification aid to boas and relatives Head wedge- shaped, not distinct; eyes small; body cylindrical, heavy; tail short. Generally burrowing species. Aspiditis Bolyeria Calabaria Charina Eryx Lichanura Loxocemus
Identification aid to boas and relatives Often coiling- up when disturbed Calabaria Candoia Charina Corallus (caninus) Chondropython (viridis) Python regius Tropidophis
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern green Morelia viridis (Chondropython viridis) (adults) (left) Corallus caninus (adults) (below)
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Yellowish/ Reddish Morelia viridis (juveniles) Corallus caninus (juveniles) Epicrates cenchria cenchria Python curtus
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Yellowish/ Greenish/ Blackish Eunectes spp. Sanzinia madagascariensis
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Yellowish with distinct markings Morelia timorensis Eunectes spp.
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Olive/ Yellowish, markings more or less absent Morelia amethistina Morelia albertisii Morelia mackloti
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Brownish Calabarian reinhardtii Charina bottae Epicrates spp. Eryx johnii Lichanura trivirgata Loxocemus bicolor Morelia spp. Liasis spp. Loxocemus bicolor
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Brownish with distinct markings Acrantophis spp. Boa constrictor Python anchietae Python bivittatus Python molurus Python regius Python reticulatus Python sebae Acrantophis madagascariensis
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Brownish to blackish with distinct markings Boa constrictor occidentalis Liasis childreni
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Blackish Exiliboa placata Trachyboa spp.
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Dark or black head Aspiditis melanocephalus Leiopython albertisii Python boeleni
Species having distinct and conspicuous colors or pattern Banded Liasis boa Morelia spilota variegata
CITES Listed App. I Python molurus Acrantophis spp. Boa constrictor occidentalis Epicrates inornatus Epicrates monensis Epicrates subflavus Sanzinia madagascariensis App. II Loxocemidae spp. Pythonidae spp. Boidae spp. Boyeriidae spp. Tropidophiidae spp.
LOXOCEMIDAE Neotropical sunbeam snake 1 species Loxocemus bicolor Mexico and C America Size: to 1.2 m Color: dark brown, sometimes with cream- colored belly. Scales: ventrals somewhat enlarged. Body form: moderately stout, with small head and slightly upturned rostral scale; skull stout.
BOIDAE Boas 28 species in 8 genera N and S America; E Indies, Madagascar, New Guinea, some Pacific Is. Size: 0.5 4 m. Color: usually brown or gray with darker markings; emerald tree boa green with lighter markings. Scales: many rows of small dorsal scales, ventral scutes somewhat enlarged. Body form: usually moderately stout, but Haitian vine boa has long, slender neck, head distinct, tail moderately long. Acrantophis dumerilii
PYTHONIDAE Pythons > 25 species in 4 genera Old world tropical and subtropical Size: 1- > 10 m. Color: uniform brown or bright green to boldly patterned with blotches or diamonds. Scales: numerous dorsal scales, somewhat enlarged ventral scutes. Body form: cylindrical, with short tail and vestigue of hind limbs.
BOLYERIIDAE Mascarine boas 2 species in 2 genera Round Is. Bolyeria multicarinata Size: 0.8-1.4 m Color: brown or gray, with irregular vague markings Body form: moderately slender or stout; head somewhat distinct; tail moderately long.
TROPIDOPHIIDAE Dwarf boas 21 species in 4 genera S & C America, W Indies, Malaysia Size: 30 cm to 1 m Color: usually brown or gray with irregular, vague markings; some species brightly spotted or ringed. Scales: numerous dorsal scales, ventrals somewhat enlarge. Body form: moderately slender, head somewhat enlarged. Tropidophis melanurus
COLUBRIDAE Colubrids Almost 1,700 species in 290 genera Worldwide. Size: 13 cm to 3.5 m. Color: many are brown, gray, or black; some are red, yellow, or green, with spots, blotches, or stripes. Scales: head scutes usually enlarged, dorsal scales keeled or smooth; ventrals typically enlarged. Body form: ranges from extremely slender to stout; head enlarged or indistinct, usually with a tapering body; pupils horizontal or vertical elliptical, usually round.
CITES Listed App. II App. III (India) Clelia clelia Cyclagras gigas Elachistodon westermanni Ptyas musosa Atretion schistosum Xenochrophis piscator Cerberus rynchops (Homalopsinae, now raised into a family)
Elachistrodon westermanni Xenochrophis piscator
ELAPIDAE Cobras and their allies > 270 species in 62 genera N & S America, Asia, E & S Africa, Australia. Size: 38 cm to 5.6 m. Color: most gray, brown or black, often with collars or cross- bands; some bright green; coral snakes ringed with red, yellow, and black. Scales: head scales large, dorsals usually smooth, ventrals enlarged. Body form: head usually slightly distinct, body cylindrical and slender in most, but death adders are stocky; sea snakes and sea kraits are compressed to oar- shaped, all with small fangs on maxilla, usually only slightly moveable, vemom usually neurotoxic.
CITES Listed App. II Hoplocephalus bungaroides Naja atra Naja kaouthia Naja mandalayensis Naja naja Naja oxiana Naja philippinensis Naja sagittifera Naja samarensis Naja siamensis Naja sputatrix Naja sumatrana Ophiophagus hannah App. III (Honduras) Micrurus diastema Micrurus nigrocinctus
Ophiophagus hannah Micrurus nigrocinctus Naja kaouthia Naja naja Naja oxiana Naja siamensis Naja sputatrix
VIPERIDAE Vipers and pit- vipers > 230 species in 28 genera Worldwide. Size: 25 cm. to 3.7 m. Color: from bright green with red markings to solid brown, or black; most with pattern of dark blotches on lighter. Body form: moderately slender to very stout, with distinct head and fairly shorter tail; pupils usually elliptical; single pair of hollow fangs on very short maxilla can be rotated to bring fangs forwards to bite; venom usually tissue- destructive.
CITES Listed App. I Vipera ursinii App. II Vipera wagneri App. III (Honduras) Crotalus durissus App. III (India) Daboia russelii